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Kariba South Power Station Extension now complete

news263

Mar 06, 11:24 am

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An additional 300 mega watts will be fed into the national power grid by next Saturday following completion of the Kariba South Power Station Extension project.The half a billion dollar power station saw two additional hydro electric power generation units 7 and 8 being established on the Zimbabwean side with each contributing 150 mega watts.This has resulted in power generation capacity at the Kariba Hydro Power Station increase to 1050 mega watts.The extension project, incepted in November 2014, will finally be complete by this coming weekend and the station will be able to feed an additional 300 mega watts to the national grid following a weeklong test run on generator unit 8.“On the 10th of March, we are going to add 300 mega watts to the national grid. This is a rare fit in the region,” said Mr Partson Mbiriri, the Energy and Power Development Permanent Secretary.The Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Cde Patrick Chinamasa said the project embodies the tenets of a properly planned, costed and time framed programme.He also spoke on the Hwange Power Station project which he said is going to generate 600 mega watts through another expansion project.“Delays should be avoided in future projects. This project inspires me. There is work in province at Hwange Power Station and the intention is for the power station to generate 600 mega watts. Financial closures for the project have been completed,” he said.ZESA Holdings Acting CEO, Mr Patrick Chivaura said the completion of the Kariba South Power station project creates conditions for growth.The Minister of State for Mashonaland West, Cde Webster Shamu said while the implementation of the Kariba South Power Station Expansion project is cause for celebrations, communities within the source of the hydro-electricity should also derive benefits from the resource.